Q & A

HUD Announces Disaster Assistance for Hurricane Harvey Victims

September 7, 2017    

In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, HUD has announced that it will speed federal disaster assistance to the State of Texas and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes due to the hurricane. The original disaster declaration has been amended four times to expand...

House Passes $7.85 Billion in Hurricane Harvey Relief

September 7, 2017    

On Sept. 6, the House of Representatives approved nearly $8 billion in Hurricane Harvey relief funds Wednesday in an overwhelming bipartisan vote, the first of several expected installments to aid recovery in areas devastated by the massive storm.

Trump Administration Reconsiders Rollback of Obama-Era Flood Rules

September 7, 2017    

In August, President Trump signed an executive order that he said would streamline the approval process for building infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and offices by eliminating a planning step related to climate change and flood dangers. The executive order revokes an earlier executive...

Senate Appropriations Committee Approves FY 2018 Housing Spending Bill

August 11, 2017    

On July 25, the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Appropriations Subcommittee advanced its FY 2018 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) spending bill. The committee voted to approve the bill by a vote of 31 to 0. The bill includes a $1.4 billion...

Secretary Carson Says HUD Will ‘Reinterpret’ AFFH Rule

August 11, 2017    

On July 14, a group of Senate Republicans led by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) sent a letter to Secretary Carson asking him to rescind HUD’s Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule. The rule requires cities and towns that receive federal funding to examine their local housing patterns...

GAO Compares Eligibility Criteria and Benefits of Federal Low-Income Programs

August 11, 2017    

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently published a report entitled, “Federal Low-Income Programs: Eligibility and Benefits Differ for Selected Programs Due to Complex and Varied Rules.” It compares the eligibility criteria and benefits of the Earned Income Tax...

Senate Confirms HUD Nominees Farias and Rackleff

August 11, 2017    

By voice vote, the U.S. Senate confirmed several of President Trump’s nominees for key HUD positions. Neal Rackleff, for HUD Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, and Anna Farias, for HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, were confirmed. Mr....

Owner May Be Liable for Charging Impermissible Rents

August 11, 2017    

Facts: A group of Section 8 residents claimed that owners improperly charged them for washer and dryer rentals, renter’s insurance, and covered parking. The residents argued that “side payment” for these services constitute impermissible rent under the Section...

Tenant Breached Settlement Agreement Due to Intoxication and Violent Behavior

August 11, 2017    

Facts: An owner sued to evict a tenant for breach of lease conditions other than nonpayment of rent. The parties eventually resolved the dispute through arbitration, which was memorialized in a settlement agreement. After the settlement, in May 2016, the tenant was involved in...

Live-In Aide Has No Continued Right to Occupy Apartment

August 11, 2017    

Facts: A disabled resident received permission to have her son live with her as a live-in aide. The son signed a live-in aide agreement in which he agreed he was an “employee of Lou White” and that he “ha[d] no other rights to the unit. After the resident...

Joint Center for Housing Publishes 2017 State of the Nation’s Housing Report

July 19, 2017    

The Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University (JCHS) recently released “The State of the Nation’s Housing” report for 2017. The data shows that renters are continuing to experience affordability challenges and that construction hasn’t been keeping pace with...

Democratic Senators Urge HUD Secretary to Restore LGBTQ Nondiscrimination Resources

July 19, 2017    

In response to HUD’s recent decision to remove resources for members of the LGBTQ community from its website, a group of 29 Senate Democrats sent a letter to HUD’s Secretary Ben Carson urging him to protect members of the LGBTQ community from housing discrimination.

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